CLAYTON – The publisher of the Heartland Democrat Will Talbert never wanted to be a newspaper man.
“If you told me this is what I would be doing two years ago, I would have ba-hawed in your face,” he said.
However, Talbert has always been interested in politics. His father worked as an attorney and, although never a politician himself, was part of many campaigns.
“It always gave him a buzz,” Talbert said.
The realization that politics gave him a buzz to, plus rumors of a favorable redrawn district, inspired Talbert to run for a seat in the 39th district in 2012. Like many fellow Democrats, he lost. After the election, he was part of a meeting of some of the most powerful Democrats in Missouri: former governors, current senators, and representatives. The consensus at that meeting was that the party was lacking an outlet for information. They needed a news source and they nominated Talbert as the man for the job.
Talbert started the Rural Democrat along with the name change the newspaper recently celebrated a year of publication. Talbert utilized guest reporters and commentators; he said one of the unforeseen joys of the paper has been convincing statesman to write.
Talbert has enjoyed the influence the paper can have both at sharing information and crafting opinions. The original goal was to reach a population that has felt increasingly isolated and angry — rural Democrats. Talbert is one himself, having lived most of his life on a farm off a gravel road in Ray County. He is just as puzzled about the rural paradox — farmers who receive subsidies, seniors who receive medicare, and people receiving SNAP payments railing against big government.
“You sit down in a diner and two thirds of the people are receiving one thing or another,” Talbert said. “The only person I want to have this conversation with is someone who hasn’t received a dime.”
The Heartland Democrat has an advantage over papers in small towns. Talbert said many papers are afraid to get too political, the backlash from one or two advertisers removing their business financially crippling.
What has been a surprise to Talbert is the paper’s reach into metropolitan areas in neighboring Kansas City and St. Louis, the partisan perspective cutting through the media noise. Recently, Talbert has established a partnership with Kevin O’Neill and the Kansas City Labor Beacon.
Talbert is used to surprises. Nineteen years ago, he was working for a grain company in Kansas City; his future seemed simple. That was until his son Jackson was diagnosed with autism. Talbert quit his steady job to take care of his son at home. When it was time for Jackson to enroll in early childcare, Talbert went back to school and became a high school social studies teacher in the same school district as Jackson. With Jackson an adult, Talbert finally had the time to run for office.
“The time was right,” he said.
He may not have judged the intentions of his voters but he has a better feel for his readers want.
